


Reunited

by nymqhadora



Series: Unwanted [2]
Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout 4
Genre: Drama, F/M, Romance, Sequel, Soulmates, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-02
Updated: 2020-06-28
Packaged: 2020-11-15 05:54:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,405
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20861318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nymqhadora/pseuds/nymqhadora
Summary: Joseline has spent months bringing three of the biggest factions in the Commonwealth together but tensions are increasing with enemy factions and all she wants is to get some sleep. John Hancock is trying and failing to keep Goodneighbor safe but maybe the Minutemen could lend a hand. Nick Valentine is trying to come to terms with who he is but the past keeps pulling him back. In the Commonwealth, nothing is coincidence and sometimes when people take different paths they end up reuniting.





	1. Resurface

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I started the sequel to Unwanted like I said I would. I am currently contemplating doing Kinktober but who knows. Hopefully, people read this and if you don't well I'm going to write it anyway.  
Enjoy, and tags and ratings, etc. are temporary. As we go along those things might change.

“General, nice of you to drop by,” Preston said. Joseline rolled her eyes and followed him into the Castle.

“I have three factions to look after, if you don’t remember. Besides, I know the Minutemen are in good hands.” Preston didn’t do well with praise so he just gave her a smile and went on to give her the latest updates.

“We’ve helped the Railroad turn several settlements into safe houses, mainly Sunshine Tidings and Taffington Boathouse. Both locations have easy escape and back up plans in case of Brotherhood or rogue Courser invasions. Big D said she has some intel for you on Ayo and the escaped Coursers he took with him. Things have been fairly quiet otherwise. We’ve just started to implement some of the Institute tech you sent our way. We thought Greygarden would be the best place to start things out, Supervisor White readily agreed to the upgrades.” Joseline nodded along to the report and was glad to hear things were going as planned. She frowned for a bit thinking about Dr. Ayo. 

Not long after she had him arrested did he break out with several Coursers and scientists. Mostly those who didn’t seem keen on her changes in the Institute. She was keeping a heavy eye on everyone else, she only trusted a handful of scientists and it wasn’t enough. Dr. Li and Virgil were lending their expertise but neither of them had ever been great fighters. She needed to find an enforcement replacement and fast. Which is part of why she decided to go to the surface. She had someone in mind but it would take some convincing.

“Keep an eye out for rogue synths and Dr. Ayo, but he’s my problem. I don’t want any Minutemen risking their lives for this. You get any news and it goes straight to me. No engagement unless provoked. Got it?” She turned to look at Preston with a serious expression. He nodded at her in grim agreement. She knew he didn’t like it but it was for the best. Ayo was her problem.

“We’ve also gotten a request,” Preston added and shifted in place. Joseline raised one eyebrow and turned to give him her full attention. She had been heading towards the General’s quarters intent on dropping off her gear. “Goodneighbor has requested assistance.” She couldn’t help the nervousness that took over. She nodded.

“Any idea with what?” She asked. Preston shook his head and sighed.

“There’s been talk that Goodneighbor has become a prime target of the Brotherhood. We keep a few Minutemen on hand there but my guess is they need more protection.” Josie stared off across the courtyard and sighed.

“I’ll head there myself and talk to Hancock.” Preston nodded. Joseline walked into the General’s quarters, dropped her bag on the bed and sat with a sigh. She was tired. The bed was calling to her but she had things to do. People to talk to. 

Going through the Institute’s records of escaped synths and synths that had replaced people was exhausting because the list was extensive. She didn’t bother to hide her disdain of that fact and it had taken long nights of sifting through data to create a foundation in which to fix the mess. She had to cross-reference her own data with the Railroad’s and there was no guarantee that their records would be as well documented as the Institute. She would have to make a trip to HQ and then to Goodneighbor. 

Joseline could already feel a headache coming on. She hadn’t spoken to John Hancock since their impromptu breakup. And she didn’t know how she would be received. She laid back on the bed and stared at the stone ceiling. It was now free of cobwebs and mud. She had been impressed by the improvements made on the Castle and had to applaud the work it took to get rid of the smell of Mirelurks. 

She contemplated the other reason she was there and did not look forward to it. She had come across a database of synths that were bonded to people across the Commonwealth and even into the Capital Wasteland. She didn’t know why or what their purpose was or if they even knew they were synths but on the list she found one name she knew. She didn’t look forward to revealing that or was even sure if she should but she had a responsibility to synths now. They were a part of her and she had made it her mission to help them as much as she could. 

Joseline sighed and then hauled herself out of bed. She checked her appearance in the cracked mirror and decided she looked fine even though the dark circles under her eyes weren’t fooling anyone. She moved down into the lower floor of the Castle and was immediately met with the sight of people rushing around, others on terminals (sent by the Institute), some mulling over a map of the Commonwealth, and several people being patched up by the resident doctor. 

She walked over to the infirmary and nodded at the Minutemen sitting there and from what she could gather one or two Railroad agents.

“What happened?” She asked. The doctor turned to look at her and looked briefly surprised.

“Ferals. We’ve been trying to clear out the subway system as a possible route to get to certain places but every time a station is cleared more ferals move in. This bunch was ambushed by a pack of them. We didn’t lose anyone but we just went through a hell of a lot of RadAway.” The doctor, a woman named Gladys, looked forlornly at a big locker Josie assumed was full of chems and medical supplies. Gladys left in a hurry at the pained moan of one of her patients whose bandages were soaked through with blood.

Joseline nodded at those looking at her and turned her attention to a man in a familiar duster. People made way for her without asking and Josie tried to ignore the stares and whispers. 

“Mac! What are you doing here? Thought you’d still be in Goodneighbor.” MacCready gave her a big hug and laughed at the way she lightly punched his shoulder.

“Yeah. As much as I like Goodneighbor it isn’t exactly the safest place for kids,” he admitted. Joseline’s smile widened.

“You brought Duncan out,” she said. Mac nodded and smiled.

“Thanks to you. He’s in Sanctuary, going to school.” 

“Sanctuary is the safest settlement in the Commonwealth and I’m sure he’s safe with Curie,” she added. Sanctuary was well fortified, they had the numbers and was turning out to be one of the most popular settlements around. Curie, still working on side projects, had decided to take in several children who no longer had parents. She ran a school and a makeshift orphanage. The robot turned synth seemed to have a natural knack when it came to kids and Joseline trusted her completely. 

“Anyways, you know I don’t do well just sitting around so I thought why not do some jobs for you. Duncan is safe, and the Minutemen salary isn’t so bad.” Joseline snorted at the veiled quip and looked down at the map. The Minutemen offered shelter, meals, training, and a meager 100 caps per month. It was hardly a well paying job but in the Commonwealth it was more than most would get. The map was incredibly detailed thanks, mostly, to her. She had traveled all over the Commonwealth and it was almost an exact replica of the map on her Pip-Boy. 

“What you got planned?” She asked, noticing several locations marked in red.

“Some raiders set up shops close to several settlements and Preston’s sending teams out to clean house. I’m taking a team out to Croup Manor. Some activity in the area has our people on alert. It’s a shi-crap show of hostiles. Maybe even some bots.” He looked grimly at the map and Joseline didn’t like the sound of it. 

“When do you leave?” She asked. 

“First thing in the morning.” Josie nodded.

“I might meet up with you guys. I’ve got some places to stop at first but I want to check in on the area. If there’s Brotherhood then we’ve got a problem.” They looked seriously at each other before Joseline moved on and MacCready went back to staring at the map. Several Railroad Heavies were lounging about and seemed exhausted. Among them was a familiar white-haired woman who took one look at Joseline and broke into a wide grin.

“I heard you had to retire your minigun,” Joseline said holding a hand out for Glory to take. The Heavy grasped her forearm and was hauled to her feet. 

“Yeah, well the damned thing fell apart in my hands after the last attack on Goodneighbor. Had to downgrade to a combat shotgun.” Glory motioned to a heavily modified gun leaning against a couch. Josie frowned.

“How bad is it?” She asked. She had heard reports of the attacks but not much in terms of detail and from what she got from Preston, John had been holding out asking for any real help. Glory sighed and rolled her shoulders.

“Three attacks in the last month. First one wasn’t really an attack then a horde of ferals who seemed to find their way through the sewers. Your ex-boyfriend chalked it up to being a freak incident but then a group of raiders thought they could take advantage of some of the damaged walls. Fahrenheit traced the raiders to Easy City Downs, odd since that particular group tend to stick to their bot races. Nordhagen Beach got hit too but the Minutemen are a force to be reckoned with nowadays what with Institute upgrades.” Glory gave her a crooked smile and glanced at the fully-stocked armory. Joseline had made sure to help stock not only the Minutemen with upgraded weapons but the Railroad as well. “We just got back. The last attack was a couple of days ago. Gunners seemed to decide it was their turn to take a crack at it. With the last attacks so close together, the Neighborhood Watch was down a few men and things weren’t looking great. Amari got us on the radio, she asked for help from the Railroad. Me and a couple of the guys grabbed our gear and headed out. It’s not looking great. The whole front wall was taken down and the only reason the gunners didn’t get past the Statehouse was because KL-E-O was raining hell. Daisy’s wounded and so are a few of the drifters. Fahrenheit took a bullet in the shoulder and at least half of the Watch are wounded or dead. Hancock had no choice but to ask the Minutemen for help, and he’s not happy.” Joseline’s frown deepened. She cursed John for being so stubborn but she also knew it was partly her fault. She should have insisted Goodneighbor be under the protection of the Minutemen but she didn’t want to push. Men were dead because Goodneighbor, her second home, hadn’t been properly protected.

“Thanks Glory. I’m heading that way to talk to John. This sounds planned. Someone had to have sent the raiders and gunners that way. Maybe even the ferals.” Josie sighed and ran a hand through her hair. “You know where Deacon is?” She asked. Glory plopped back onto the couch with a wince.

“Yeah, he’s back at HQ. Des has him grounded. Why?” She asked. Joseline gingerly sat on the armrest of the couch.

“I need him for something.” She was lost in thought for a moment before deciding. “Can I ask you something?” Glory looked at her curiously and nodded. Josie sighed and rubbed her eyes. It was a difficult decision and while she was determined to talk to those involved there was a part of her that wasn’t entirely certain. “I have information that someone is a synth and I’m pretty sure they don’t know.” Glory didn’t look shocked. She looked around the room and then back at Joseline. “Do you think it’s a good idea to tell them?”

“My answer will always be yes. If it were me, I would want to know. Thankfully, I haven’t had to deal with such a dilemma. Who is it?” she asked. Joseline didn’t answer.

“And if they’re bonded to someone?” Joseline added. Glory frowned and shook her head.

“That’s a bit different. There’s always the chance that the synth replaced someone like...well, you know what I mean. Either way the bond, well, some of the synths I know call them artificial bonds. I don’t know if I agree with that name. A bond is a bond,” Glory said. The Railroad Heavy looked tired and Joseline didn’t blame her. 

“Thanks, I mean, I know I’m going to tell them but I just wanted to be sure.” Joseline patted Glory on the shoulder and went back to the General's quarters. She wasn’t looking forward to what she had to do.

. . .

Hancock glared at the fallen walls. His town had fought and they had almost lost. He wasn’t keen on asking for help because Goodneighbor always managed to stand on their own in the past but there was no doubt now that they wouldn’t survive another attack without help. He huffed and moved back into the Statehouse. KL-E-O had been hurt in the fight but she was still marching back and forth as a sentry in case anyone tried to test their nonexistent defences. 

The Minutemen and Railroad agents on hand had assured him that someone high-ranking would be dropping by to assess the damage and offer official help. He had simply nodded at them. They had earned his respect. They fought alongside his people without question. He had told Glory that her and her men could stay but she just shook her head and told him that they needed medical help and she wasn’t going to trust anyone other than Carrington or Gladys. Amari had her hands full with her own patients and Glory had posed the argument that the Castle had more beds. He hadn’t argued with her. 

John was on edge. People he respected and even loved to a certain degree had been hurt. He desperately wanted to pop some chems but even the strongest chems wouldn’t chase away the anger and shame that filled him. He was Mayor of Goodneighbor, none of this should have happened. 

He was expecting Preston, who else would they send? He was ascending the stairs to check on Fahrenheit when his mind wandered to Joseline. _ They could send Joseline. _

He scoffed and shook his head. He doubted she would show up. From what he knew, she had been incredibly busy negotiating and heading the alliance between the Minutemen, Railroad, and the Institute. It had been something he tried to keep out of but he couldn’t fault the progress made. There was a part of him that hated the fact that he declined any official help. Maybe if he had taken them up on their offer, none of this would have happened. 

He hadn’t seen Joseline in months since he left. His mind was still a jumbled mess when it came to her and how he felt. He couldn’t fault her on what had happened but he was still bitter about it. He had loved her. She was everything and she had let it fall apart. A small part of him piped up that he had too. He was a grumbling mess when he walked into the makeshift infirmary. 

“Why do you look like you just took a dose of psycho?” Fahrenheit asked. John forced himself to let out a mocking laugh and fell into the chair beside her little cot. She was instructed not to move and he could tell she was not happy about it.

“What have I become, huh? Mayor of Goodneighbor can’t keep his fucking town safe. What happened? All this shit is going to make me do something stupid,” he muttered at her. She didn’t do anything other than raise an eyebrow.

“What? Like break your confusing streak of sobriety? I always thought you were better on chems,” she threw back at him. He knew she was lying but he didn’t call her on it.

“I haven’t been the same since…” the words left him unbidden and he turned his head painfully to force himself to not finish the sentence but Fahr couldn’t be fooled.

“You’ve been fine, just like I’m sure she’s been fine. Thanks to her, the Commonwealth has a chance at fighting these kinds of threats. I hate her for leaving you but I wouldn’t trust anyone else to do what she’s been doing.” John couldn’t argue with that. Their eyes met and for a brief moment John could see the pain she was in and he betted she could see his. 

“Being shot does wonders for your social skills,” he said. She threw a nearby tray at him and then groaned in pain.

. . .

Ellie was frowning at him and he briefly wondered if she thought he had finally gone crazy. He looked away from her and to the file on his desk. 

“Radio Freedom says that area is dangerous and that no one should go there until they get more updates. I don’t think you should go.” Nick listened to his secretary but just shook his head.

“I’ll be in and out. If it’s too dangerous then I’ll just head back. It’s imperative to a case,” he replied. He could feel the way she frowned at him.

“And what case is that?” she asked. He scrambled for an answer but didn’t have one. She knew all their open cases and she already knew he was lying. Nick Valentine sighed and pocketed his gun.

“Don’t worry about me, Ellie. I’ll be fine and besides, if it’s blacklisted on Radio Freedom then that means the Minutemen are there.” He looked at her and was pleased to see that he was winning the argument. She seemed to be in thought before huffing and storming to her room. Nick sighed but he wasn’t changing his mind. He needed two more tapes and one of them was near Nahant Wharf.

. . .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Until next time!


	2. Reunited

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joseline, Hancock, and Nick's paths cross.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm planning on updating every Wednesday if anyone is interested :)

“I’m sorry,” Joseline didn’t know what she could say or do to lessen the blow. Sturges was pacing the room and Preston was watching him with concern. It hadn’t been an easy choice.

Same-sex bonds were rare even before the bombs. Preston and Sturges had found each other when Garvey went to Quincy. It had been one of the reasons why Preston had been so successful in leading the survivors through the Commonwealth. Although, if asked Preston would not call it a success.

“It’s a lot, Joseline,” Preston said. Josie nodded and tried not to pick at her fingernails. It was a nervous habit, one developed recently.

“I know. I debated whether or not to say anything but with all that I’ve learned and uncovered. It would be irresponsible to keep this to myself. I already restricted the use of the tech that enables the bonds. It would only be used if found synths with bonds wanted to dissolve said bond. It won’t be used for any other purpose.” She hoped it was a consolation, however small. Preston just nodded sullenly at her while keeping an eye on Sturges.

“Did...did the Institute do this because of Preston?” Sturges asked finally stopping and looking at her. She had wondered the same thing but all the records showed that it wasn’t the case. It was a preliminary case. They had started the plan for the particular synth but the synth escaped before he could be distributed. It was one of the reasons she wanted to go through the Railroad's files. She suspected the organization had erased his memories and put him out as Sturges. 

“I was just a regular Minuteman, Sturges. If they wanted to get to the Minutemen then it would have been a higher ranking one,” Preston reasoned. Joseline nodded in agreement.

“You were very early stages but records say you escaped. My guess is the Railroad found you and went through the procedures. You ended up in Quincy without any knowledge who you really were and that you had a bond.” Sturges resumed pacing. Joseline looked at her Pip-Boy. She really should be heading out. 

“I’m keeping the bond. I...I just need some time,” Sturges said before walking out. Preston stood.

“I understand your reasoning, Josie, but maybe…” he sighed and shook his head. 

“I know. I need to go through the Railroad’s files. Look, I don’t agree with the Railroad’s methods of keeping synths in the dark. You know we have enough evidence that the memory wipes don’t keep them safe. Look at Covenant, I think synths should know so that they _can _ be safe. We have the resources to teach them how to defend themselves. I can’t stand the thought of unknowing synths being captured and tortured for something they don’t remember. The Railroad gave them freedom but not knowing who you are is a different prison and letting them out into the Commonwealth without any way of defending themselves? I need to do this. I owe them that.” Joseline stood and began strapping on her gear. Preston sighed and nodded.

“I agree, it’s just…” he didn’t finish his sentence. Josie sighed.

“Go after him. Keep an eye on him. I’m sure someone around here can take over for a while and I’m here, on the surface, they can call me if anything is important. I’m sure Ronnie can hold up the fort for a while,” Joseline suggested. Preston nodded and hurriedly left the room.

Josie groaned and rubbed at her eyes. The sun was going down but she had places to go. She took one last look around the General’s quarters, trying to avoid looking at the bed too long, and walked out. People were walking around, the watch changing shifts, and several groups were off training in the yard. Joseline made her way to the main armory and looked around for Ronnie Shaw.

“It’s been a while, General,” Ronnie said stepping around two recruits working on modding weapons. Josie smiled and shook the woman’s hand.

“Yes, it has. How are things going?” she asked. Ronnie nodded her head and looked around the room.

“It’s going. Did you need anything?” Josie sighed and pulled on her bag strap.

“Yeah, Preston might be indisposed for a bit and I’m heading out to Railroad HQ, Goodneighbor, and then to Croup Manor. Think you can take over things around here for a bit?” Ronnie looked slightly taken aback before straightening.

“No problem, General,” she said leaving the armory. Joseline supposed she was going to do the rounds and look for Preston so she took the opportunity to sneak out the front gates. 

Railroad HQ was located at a new location she had helped set up. The former residents had been kind of crazy in the form of raiders and it had been a pretty easy op. D.B. Technical High School wasn’t exactly a covert location but the Railroad wasn’t exactly operating as covertly as it used to. Joseline had scoured the Commonwealth for places that had underground threads but most of them were either too secluded or not to Desdemona’s standards. When she found the basement and the subsequent subway system beneath D.B. Tech, she had thought it made for a potential location. So she had taken Deacon and a rarely seen out and about Carrington to scope out the location. They had both seen the potential she had and so it was the new HQ. She hadn’t visited the HQ in a while and she was curious to see how “Big D” set up the place.

She quickly made her way to South Boston and up to the gates that would lead to D.B. Tech. She savored the walk and used the time to work out the kinks in her back and tried to ready herself for what was bound to be a stressful day. She noticed the gate was manned by several people in Railroad uniform and one person in Minutemen garb. She stopped a couple of feet from the gate and raised her hand at the guards. They looked down at her and then she heard a flurry of voices and footsteps and the gate swung open.

“Bullseye is back!” She heard someone yell out. She cringed at the code name and walked through the gate. The outer walls the raiders had set up were better fortified and the cracks in the defenses she had seen before, and taken note of, were fixed. She smiled at those that greeted her and made her way into HQ.

It was a hub of activity as soon as she walked through the doors. The small entrance area had been blocked off before but the Railroad seemed to have made several changes to the layout including makeshift stairs and structures within the spacious rooms. Joseline always thought the labyrinth of rooms offered too much unused space and she was happy to see that the Railroad had made use of that. 

“I need to see Des,” she said to a Railroad agent that stood staring at her. She looked at the man for several moments before a familiar blue jacket appeared.

“Come on, I’ll show you where Des is set up,” Drummer Boy said. Josie smiled and followed the familiar face to what used to be the locker rooms. The lockers were cleared out and in the space was a huge table with the infamous Railroad map and several desks lining the walls with agents typing and going through documents. Desdemona stood leaning against a wall when she entered. 

“You know the point of being a Railroad Heavy is that sometimes you actually do some heavy work,” Desdemona, leader of the Railroad, called out to her. Joseline smiled and shook hands with the formidable woman.

“Trying to manage three factions in the Commonwealth isn’t enough heavy work?” she quipped back. Des allowed a small smirk.

“To what do we owe the honor?” she asked. Josie sighed and looked around the room.

“I’ve come to look at your records. It took some time but I built a database of all Gen 3 synths, the ones that were sent out and the ones that escaped as well as the ones that were still in the Institute. I’m hoping you keep meticulous records I can use to help find synths. I want to offer them a home and a way to defend themselves if possible. You and I know with the way things have changed, synths aren’t safe even with their memories wiped. I also have a list of synths that had bonded.” Des was frowning and took a moment to look down at the map before nodding her head.

“Tinker Tom is your guy. I can’t say I completely agree with you but I get it. We didn’t have much of a choice before. Most of the synths were just too rattled and green out here. The only protection we could offer was to give them a foundation to build upon. But I’m also sure if given the choice, a lot of them would probably prefer to know,” Des said. Josie wasn’t so sure about that if the way Sturges had reacted was anything to rely on. “Anything else you need?”

“Updates. I’m heading out to Goodneighbor and Croup Manor. Got anything important for me that your men can’t handle?” Josie asked. Des was in thought for several moments before shaking her head.

“Not much in terms of updates. You’re free to take a look around the new HQ but everything we know the Minutemen know unless you want to talk about Ayo. For that you’d have to go see Carrington,” she replied. Josie nodded and followed Drummer Boy to where Tinker Tom was set up. 

“Hey, Bullseye! Haven’t seen you in a while, what you got for me?” Tom asked smiling at the sight of her. Joseline smiled back and pulled out a holotape.

“Just a complete database of Gen 3 synths. Think you can do some desk work for me?” She asked hoping she could rely on Tom to do most of the work while she went and checked on things. He took the holotape with excitement and popped it into his makeshift terminal. 

“Damn, this took some serious work. You do this?” He asked. She nodded. “What did you need?”

“I want to know which synths came through the Railroad and where to find them.” He looked lost in thought before nodding and working on the terminal.

“Pretty sure me and my guys can do that, no problem! Is there a deadline?” He asked sitting down and typing away. She shook her head.

“Nah, I got stuff to do while I’m on the surface,” she replied. He nodded already lost in his own world. She chuckled and turned back to a waiting Drummer Boy.

“Carrington?”

. . .

John woke up to the sound of KL-E-O yelling. He was disoriented before his shotgun was shoved into his hands and Fahrenheit was pushing at his arm but unable to get out of the cot. He was fully awake when he stood and realized what was left of the Neighborhood Watch were rushing out of the Statehouse. He heard the sound of fusion rifles and his chest constricted. Was the Brotherhood finally there to take them down? 

He didn’t hesitate when he hurried onto the steps. He aimed his shotgun and shot the first person he saw in a Courser uniform. He didn’t have time to process that it wasn’t the Brotherhood but two Coursers wreaking havoc on his front lawn. KL-E-O was doing her best but her arm was dangling by it’s wires and she was too slow for the Institute made killers. He shot at the one not occupied by the Assaultron but his shots kept missing. He never had the luxury to see a Courser in action and he wasn’t enjoying it. The thing was moving faster than he thought possible and quickly maneuvering out of their reach when they tried to fire on him. Now he understood how one Courser had plowed through the Gunners back in Greenetech. John was starting to think that was it. They weren’t going to make it. He watched the Courser tear two of his men apart making a way towards him.

He ran out of bullets and used the butt of his shotgun to try and hit the Courser as it descended on him but it was easily dodged. He was pushed to the ground and a fusion rifle was pushed into his face. He was ready. 

But he didn’t die. Instead, Hancock watched as a familiar figure jumped on the courser and shoved a shiny knife into its head. The courser fell under her and she stood on top of it panting and looking at him in obvious concern. She held out her hand and he took it. Once he was on his feet he pulled her towards him by the waist and stole a kiss. 

Joseline shoved at his chest and immediately turned on her heels and that’s when John remembered the second Courser. The Courser was beating on KL-E-O but then it turned in their direction, spotted Joseline and the dead Courser at her feet, and _ bolted_. She pulled her trusty 10mm out and shot at it’s retreating back but it rounded a corner and out of sight. She huffed angrily and stalked over to KL-E-O. She helped the Assaultron up and spoke in a low voice. 

“How many?” she asked, standing and motioning for two of his Neighborhood Watch to help KL-E-O into the building. He was still trying to process that she was there and had to think for a moment. 

“Eighteen,” a voice spoke from behind him. It was Fahrenheit leaning against the doorframe with a spiked bat in her hand. He raised a brow at her and she just shrugged back at him. Had she been planning to go at the Coursers with a _ bat _and while injured? He looked back at Joseline and frowned at the look on her face. It was a subdued kind of anger, one he had seen before but never this intensely. 

“We need to talk,” she gritted out walking past him.

. . .

Nick crept along cautiously. He had been expecting to run into the Minutemen as he neared Nahant Wharf but the land was eerily quiet and empty. His systems mimicked a shiver and he had to roll his shoulders to drive off the nervousness he felt. When it was that quiet and empty it usually didn’t mean anything good. The last time he had come across something similar was when he had unknowingly walked into a Deathclaw’s hunting ground. 

He tightened his grip on his pipe revolver and continued on. He crouched behind a nearby car and looked out. There was a Red Rocket Station up ahead and he knew just a few buildings down was the Nahant Police Department. He was so close. He moved out of cover and that’s when he heard growling. 

“Damn it!” he cursed. He ran right in front of the Red Rocket and through a gate away from the Police Station. He heard the sounds of feral mutts running after him and he knew it was only a matter of time before they reached him. He needed ground and cover. He ran towards a building a little ways on a hill shrouded by trees. He hoped that the turret he saw chugging back and forth was owned by friendlies. He hadn’t heard much news from this area about any settlements so he could be jumping out of the frying pan but running into the fire so to speak. 

“We’ve got trouble!” he heard someone yell and hoped they were referring to the mutts and not him. It was then that he saw the familiar uniform of a Minuteman and he sighed in relief as he crossed their perimeter. The Minutemen gathered on a makeshift wall and the turrets made quick work of the feral mutts. Nick was leaning forward with his hands on his knees. His motors were working overtime and he could hear his mechanics trying to keep up with the flow of artificial adrenaline that coursed through him. He was getting old.

“Nick?” He looked up at the familiar voice and was stunned to see Joseline. She stood not too far from him with several Minutemen, a man in a familiar duster, and one John Hancock. They were looking at him curiously before Joseline smiled. “What are you doing here?”

“Wait! You know this guy?” The man in the duster asked. Nick thought he knew him but was coming up short with a name. Hadn’t he seen him around the Third Rail?

“Of fucking course,” he heard John say under his breath. Nick tried not to cringe at the obvious animosity. He looked at Joseline and couldn’t help but think that she looked good for a woman who was practically running the Commonwealth. The last time they saw each other was when... 

“Uh, just out for a stroll,” he said standing upright. Hancock snorted and Joseline looked at him incredulously. 

“So is no one going to introduce the synth in a trenchcoat?” Joseline looked at the man in the duster in amusement and turned back to him.

“MacCready meet Nick Valentine, detective out of Diamond City.” Realization dawned on him suddenly and apparently with MacCready as well. They nodded at each other and he wondered how he was going to get out of this impromptu reunion. He needed to head back to the Police Station but if the Minutemen gathered were any indication, they were getting ready for something. 

“General, we have some activity over here!” A Minuteman shouted from the southeastern wall. Joseline’s face hardened and she hurried over to lookout. They all followed and Nick could hear the distinct sound of what could only be robots fighting. He was the last to climb up onto the lookout and was confused at what he saw. Three Gunners were fighting off a horde of put together bots. Joseline sighed.

“Has anyone talked to Isabel?” she asked. MacCready was standing beside her with his sniper rifle aimed at the fight. 

“She doesn’t think they’re hers,” a Minuteman answered. Joseline’s frown deepened. 

“I want a closer look.” She jumped down with surprising speed and pulled out an odd-looking gun. He couldn’t say he had ever seen anything like it and he watched as she left the perimeter. Several people hurried after her and Nick found himself following too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't worry the drama and smut is coming. The current rating is temporary :)


	3. Redirection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joseline remembers why she stopped going places with John and Nick.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Posted this a few hours late but whatevs. It was hard to finish this chapter mostly because my energy hasn't been great for the last week and my writing has definitely slowed down. I worked all day on this and it's not up to what I wanted but it's getting there.

Joseline moved through the trees with ease. She just wanted a closer look. The bots were put together but they also were more professionally done than Isabel’s bots. They had a well-done gleam about them that gave her some indication of who might have made them. She wondered what their use was. 

Two of the Gunners went down and the third was trying his best to stay standing. One of the bots turned away from the fight and towards her. She cursed under her breath and aimed her gun at the approaching makeshift Handy. It went down with a blast of purple and the remaining bots turned from the Gunner on his knees to her. She shot at two of them easily enough and the last was taken down with a well-placed shot she knew had to have been Mac. She moved to the Gunner and assessed his injuries. His knees were slashed and bleeding but he was still coherent and reaching for his plasma pistol. She kicked the gun from his reach and pushed him onto his front. She pulled his arms to his back and a moment later a Minuteman handed her a pair of handcuffs. She cuffed the man and watched as a few of her men took him back to Croup Manor.

Joseline frowned at the bodies strewn around her. Dead eyes gazed up at her. She kneeled to look at the bots. 

“Are you okay?” Josie looked up at the voice of Hancock and nodded her head. The remaining survivors from Goodneighbor were evacuated to Bunker Hill. The injured were escorted to Railroad HQ. Minutemen, some Railroad agents, and some Gen 1 and 2’s were sent to help. Joseline stayed long enough to give orders and to look around Goodneighbor before she started to head to Croup Manor. 

It had been a while since she had seen John. He looked worse for wear and she realized she had never seen him look so lost. She wanted to get to the bottom of things but it would take time. Goodneighbor was abandoned until repairs could be made and it had been a hard time convincing people to leave. She knew John would wallow in a place like Bunker Hill and she knew he would drive everyone crazy at HQ so she asked if he wanted to join her. 

“We need to move, now!” Josie turned to look at Nick who was backing away from one of the robot's remains. She heard a faint noise and she hurried to run away, grabbing John’s hand in the process. She looked back but the area was cleared and with a loud noise all the bots exploded at once. They stumbled back from the blast. 

Joseline made her way back to the Manor with irritation. There were only a handful of places that the robots could have been made in the Commonwealth. She would have to send people out to scout the locations and one of them was too close to home for comfort. She huffed as she made her way to the Gunner being attended to by a medic. 

“What were you doing out here?” she asked the injured man. He scoffed at her and then winced in pain as one of her men cleaned his cuts. She continued to stare at him while he looked around in interest. 

“What are you going to do with me?” he asked. She sighed and crossed her arms.

“That depends on you. I have no qualms whatsoever killing you but if you prove useful then I’ll have you transferred somewhere where you can recover from your injuries. You’ll be let go or if you decide to change your life choices, we do have open recruitment,” she said. He took a look around and scoffed but seemed to seriously be considering her words.

“Who are you?” he asked. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. 

“Who do I look like?” she asked. His eyes roved over her. Joseline knew it wasn’t too hard to figure out who she was. She wore her signature vault suit, cleaned and armored. She wore a hybrid of synth and combat armor that was colored a deep blue. The insignias of all three factions were on her chest and arms. Her hair was in a messy bun on the top of her head and a highly modded 10mm was strapped to her thigh. His eyes widened when he realized who she was and soon he was stammering out an answer.

“We were given an assignment. If we attacked Goodneighbor we would be given a large number of caps as well as some equipment. We were told to meet them here for the rest of the payment but those bots showed up instead.” Joseline rubbed her eyes in frustration. She knew there had to be someone behind the attack and at the moment all signs were pointing towards Ayo.

“And you don’t know who gave the Gunners the assignment?” she asked. He shook his head and then seemed to look behind her.

“All I know was we were told to take down as many people as we could and we would be paid extra if we managed to kill the mayor,” the guy said. Joseline looked behind her at an angry Hancock. She shook her head and chuckled.

“Unfortunately for you, you failed.” She walked off with a flourish to talk to Mac. She didn’t flinch when the sound of a shotgun went off. She knew the best way to deal with an angry John Hancock was to let him let off some steam. The Gunner yelled in pain.

. . .

John thought shooting the Gunner in the leg wasn’t punishment enough but he also knew there was only so much Joseline would let him get away with. He turned away from the Gunner with a growl to follow the rest of their group into the Manor. It was a good setup the Minutemen had. It was well fortified and adequately stocked, he knew it was probably thanks to Josie. Some more of that guilt came back as he realized that Goodneighbor could have been better off as well.

“I need to go to the General Atomics Factory. It’s the most likely option in the Commonwealth for Ayo to be holed up and making these robots. Isabel has control of the best facility but this is a close second. I don’t know what his plan is and the building is close to the Castle.” Josie shook her head and huffed. John could tell she was stressed. He was too but it seemed to be weighing on her the most. He didn’t know the full story only catching bits and pieces as they made their way to Croup Manor. 

An Institute scientist by the name of Ayo escaped with several scientists and Coursers. They didn’t agree with the changes Joseline had made and now seemed to be wreaking havoc on the Commonwealth. John could understand Josie’s frustration since the whole thing was probably really personal. He watched her work with the same wonder he felt before. It had been months since they had seen each other and she still took his breath away. 

“It’s been months and she’s still stunning.” John tensed at the familiar voice and the smell of a cigarette. Nick was leaning against the wall close to him. John wanted to hate the synth but their history was too personal. He hated Nick for getting between him and Joseline but he also owed the synth a great deal. After all, how many times had Nick bailed him out when he was still living in Diamond City?

“She’s working herself thin. She needs rest but she won’t admit it,” he said. Nick nodded in agreement. All it took was one look at Joseline to notice how weary she looked. There were dark circles under her eyes and bone-deep exhaustion that was just lurking beneath the surface. He was worried she might fall apart at any moment which was part of the reason he agreed to come along. The other part being not knowing what else to do with himself. 

“I’m going to head out,” Nick suddenly said putting out his cigarette and moving to leave. John frowned and followed the synth. 

“What are you talking about? You just got here,” John said. Nick turned to give him an odd look and continued to walk away.

“I thought you would want me to leave.” John didn’t know what he wanted. All he knew was that he missed this. Whenever the three of them were together big things happened, for everybody. Nick looked back at him and frowned.

“Where you going Nicky?” he asked seriously concerned about why Nick had been in the area in the first place. It wasn’t an ideal place to be. He knew raiders weren’t too far off, Mirelurks and feral mutts littered the area, and the Brotherhood was only a few miles away. And up until recently, there had been feral ghouls in the area. What reason would Nick have to be there? He eyed the detective critically. 

“I’m on a case, John.” Hancock kept following him to the gate Nick had run through earlier. Nick huffed and looked at him in exasperation. 

“Nick, where are you going?” he asked when Nick turned left and up the street. They were vying dangerously close to raider territory. The synth suddenly crouched and John followed after they heard voices. Valentine ducked into a police station that was falling apart. Hancock frowned and followed him into the building. Nick looked through terminals and desks until moving to the second floor. John followed him when he heard a familiar sound. He looked out the window and cursed under his breath. 

A vertibird was incoming and he knew it had to be Brotherhood. He looked back at Valentine who pocketed a holotape before turning to look at him. Finding a synth and a ghoul wouldn’t end well for them if the Brotherhood found them. 

“We need to get back!” He said to Nick in a loud whisper. Nick’s jaw clenched and they were hurrying out of the police station but they weren’t quick enough. They had just reached the Red Rocket Station when two Power Armor clad men dropped not far from them. The vertibird landed shortly after and both Nick and Hancock were standing with their hands up. The Brotherhood insignia was clear on their armor and they looked at them critically. John looked at Nick. They were fucked.

. . .

“Who are you and what are you doing here?” One of the men asked. John kept his mouth shut and Nick was surprised. The other soldier stepped up to them holding a Gatling Laser.

“Who cares? That’s a synth and a ghoul.” Nick tried not to roll his eyes and tried to think how he could get out of this situation but he didn’t have time to think long before the soldiers were taking a step back and looking beside them. Nick looked and blinked at the sight of Joseline and several Minutemen.

“There a problem here?” she asked lazily. She had her strange weapon in her hands and was looking at the Brotherhood soldiers with a cock of her head. The soldiers looked at each other.

“This is Brotherhood business and no concern of yours,” one of them said having the gall to raise his minigun. Joseline threw them a feral grin before moving to stand in front of them.

“Funny since these are my men. I’m Joseline, General of the Minutemen.” The soldiers' stances tensed and they looked at the Minutemen soldiers before turning back to Josie. 

“They were in a restricted zone,” one of them said. Joseline scoffed.

“The Brotherhood doesn’t run things in the Commonwealth and the last time I checked they don’t own any part of the Commonwealth either. So I suggest you get back in your vertibird and go back to the Prydwen and yes, I know what your ugly airship is called. You tell Elder Maxson that if I find any more of you assholes messing with my people, he’ll regret it. Things may be _ cordial _ now but may I remind you that without the Beryllium Agitator, your presence here is _ useless_.” The soldiers stepped away.

“Elder Maxson will not be intimidated.” Joseline’s smile widened. 

“He should be. And in case you tin cans were planning on trying anything, I have several missile launchers aimed at your vertibird right now. Unless you want to crash _ another _vertibird I suggest you do what you are told.” Joseline took that moment to raise her gun at the Brotherhood soldiers. They stared at her for a moment before making their way back to their vertibird. Nick watched them leave and didn’t relax until they were out of sight. Joseline lowered her gun, threw a glare at both John and him, and made her way back to the Manor.

“Next time, don’t leave the perimeter unless you know it’s safe,” she gritted out at them as they followed her. Nick didn’t know what to say. John was throwing him side glances and he knew that the mayor saw him grab the holotape. Joseline was a ball of tension. “Why are things so much harder whenever you two are around?” She turned to them in anger and stared at each of them as if daring them to say something. Nick felt guilty but wasn’t sure she would want his explanation. He looked at Hancock but the ghoul just grinned. She glared at John before scoffing and heading into the Manor.

“Are you going to tell us what’s going on or are you going to do this on your own?” John asked. Nick looked at the Minutemen rushing around. 

“She’s got enough going on,” Nick replied. John shook his head.

“We could always use your help.” Nick didn’t quite believe that. The altercation with the Brotherhood soldiers would probably bring repercussions and it was his fault. 

“I still love her, you know.” He hoped the confession would get John off his case but the mayor just sighed.

“Yeah, me too.”

. . .

“What’s up with the synth?” Mac asked when Joseline entered the building. She groaned and sank into a nearby armchair. Minutemen were packing things up around her. The confrontation with the Brotherhood meant that there was a possibility the area would be swarming with soldiers shortly. There weren’t any civilians in the area except for a band of raiders. Joseline had taken care of that problem before but raiders were just as bad as ferals and almost always seemed to refill their ranks. 

They needed to leave if they wanted to avoid a fight and at the moment it was just easier to retreat than make a stand. She was planning on heading back to HQ before moving on to General Atomics. 

“What do you mean?” She asked in reply to Mac. He frowned at her and she huffed. “Nick was my mate. It’s a long story but he’s not my mate anymore.” Josie said hoping Mac would just drop the topic. 

“So is that why things ended between you and Hancock?” He asked. Josie looked out the window at the two assholes who always seemed to pop back up in her life unwarranted. 

“Kind of. We just grew apart and stopped trying. Things were tough,” she said without realizing. She shook her head to clear her thoughts. She had told herself she didn’t have time for romance. There was just too much to do.

“Huh, so a ghoul and a synth,” Mac trailed off. She glared at him then and plastered on a sickly sweet smile.

“Talking of synths! How’s Curie?” She said excitedly. Mac’s face reddened and he put his hands up in surrender.

“Okay, okay. I get it,” he said.

“If you don’t want to talk about your love life then don’t ask about mine,” she said standing with a groan and moving outside. The Minutemen were stacking their stuff and equipment in one spot. The wonderful thing about the teleporter was that it was faster than a vertibird. She glanced at her Pip-Boy before joining John and Nick.

“So what are you boys going to do?” She asked. They looked at each other. 

“I’m going to help Nick on a case,” John said. Joseline didn’t miss the way Nick looked surprised at the declaration. She smiled to herself and then nodded.

“Okay. Need a ride? Or at least teleport somewhere not here. I don’t want you two to be stuck here if the Brotherhood decides to come back.” Nick was looking at John and then sighed. 

“Yeah, Diamond City would be nice. I need to check in with Ellie.” Josie nodded.

“If I find anything I’ll let you know,” she said looking at John. He nodded. Joseline looked at both of them and had the sudden urge to hug both of them but she kept her arms to herself and looked at her Pip-Boy again.

“Ready?” She asked. They both nodded. She stepped back and made sure no one was around them.

“Getting ready to teleport!” She yelled out and she punched in some commands. With a burst of light, Nick and John were gone. She hoped they would be okay.

“General, we’re ready.” She turned and nodded at the Minuteman. She moved to stand with the rest of the group and pressed a button on her Pip-Boy. They were relocated to County Crossing. Mac looked at her in question. She tilted her head and they met up with the person in charge of the settlement. The Minutemen that were at Croup Manor were going to make their way to Nordhagen Beach and set up there while she and Mac headed to HQ. 

Deacon had been out when she visited and she hoped the elusive asshole would finally be there so she could ask for his help. She couldn’t think of anyone better at infiltrating and sniffing out the truth than a Railroad spy in the form of Deacon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Will something happen between John and Nick? I don't know, we'll just have to wait and see.


	4. Replacement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joseline gets some things done and finally gets to talk to Deacon. Nick finally tells John what he's up to.

“So why did we teleport to County Crossing instead of straight to Nordhagen Beach?” MacCready asked. Joseline sighed and picked at her plate of Cram and tatos. 

“Because Nordhagen is right across from the Boston Airport and unfortunately, the teleporter isn’t exactly the most covert method of traveling in open places like Nordhagen. Besides, Sturges told me that tracing the teleporter is easy and he’d be surprised if the Brotherhood hasn’t already documented the signatures. The less we use it, the better,” she explained. He nodded but didn’t seem to really understand what she was saying. The settlers of County Crossing had offered them food before heading out and Joseline was grateful. Most of the time she forgot to eat and only had time to pick at a box of Sugar Bombs or Dandy Apples. She grimaced as she realized this. 

“So straight to HQ?” Mac asked. Joseline nodded and stood. She wiped the dust from her backside and placed her plate in a makeshift sink. She considered doing the dishes herself but was interrupted by a short woman who smiled at her and went about doing the dishes. Josie exited the little tent the settlers used for a dining hall and waited for Mac to finish. 

She stared at her Pip-Boy and tried to get it to tell her what she was missing. She wasn’t entirely sure Ayo was holed up in the General Atomics Factory and if he wasn’t, she would have to figure out where to go next. She sighed and rubbed at her forehead, feeling an oncoming headache looming. She needed to talk to Deacon.

“Did you want to stop at Bunker Hill?” A Minutemen by the name of Mark asked her. She was only bringing three of them with her and Mac. It was strictly voluntary and she made sure to impress how dangerous it would potentially be. Coursers were nothing to scoff at and even Institute scientists were trained to use firearms. She nodded briskly at Mark and took the time to pack a few food items into her pack. 

Josie had worked hard to build trust with Bunker Hill, getting rid of the raiders that had them under their thumb, and she wanted to make sure it stayed raider-free. The residents of Goodneighbor weren’t exactly known for their welcoming nature and she hoped the two settlements weren’t clashing too much. She trusted Fahrenheit but she was also injured and Josie didn’t want her running herself ragged keeping things in line when she needed _rest_.

They headed out, Josie made sure the remaining Minutemen knew what to do when they reached Nordhagen. Her concern was its proximity to the Brotherhood. She felt better knowing more of her men were at the settlement. She wanted to relocate the settlers there but they had refused. She managed to convince them to send their children to Sanctuary but otherwise, they refused to abandon their home. Josie couldn’t fault them for that and made sure to reinforce their defenses and their numbers. They survived a raider attack but a bunch of Brotherhood soldiers was different.

She mentally went over what needed to be done as they made their way to Bunker Hill. Mac was quiet but occasionally engaged in conversation with the other men. Joseline was grateful they didn’t push her for conversation, not when she had so much on her mind.

She knew something was up with Nick. She had wondered why he was in the area and why he had wandered off but she didn’t ask. She wasn’t even sure if he would have told her and her primary concern was getting rid of Ayo. She was grateful John had opted to go with him, she felt better knowing he had some backup. She shook her head and tried to push her emotions away. 

Seeing both of them was both painful and comforting. She missed them. She missed the way John smiled at her and Nick’s ever-observant gaze. They were both important to her whether she wanted to admit it or not. When the Gunner had told them about trying to kill Hancock she had been angry. She had been angry that if this was Ayo, he had dared to go after the people she cared about. And when the Brotherhood soldiers had the both of them at gunpoint she had been ready to blast them to kingdom come. Maxson better watch his back because she wasn’t above killing every last one of them for daring to come to _her _Commonwealth and killing innocent people. Gunners, raiders, super mutants, and ferals were one thing but everyone else was off-limits. She gritted her teeth as they walked up to Bunker Hill’s side door and she knew a confrontation with the Brotherhood was bound to happen sooner or later.

“General is here!” She heard someone yell out. There were people busy rushing around and she was impressed to see that the defenses were being extended and more structures being built. She was happy to note many Goodneighbor residents helping out. They slipped into the makeshift infirmary and she smiled when she noticed Fahrenheit not in bed but on a chair barking orders while Kay checked over her wound.

“You need rest,” she called out as several of Fahr’s men hurried out. 

“These assholes only listen to me and Hancock. I need to make sure they’re not up to shit,” the Bodyguard gritted out. Josie smiled and looked at Kay.

“How’s she doing?” She asked. Kay frowned as she wrapped up her examination.

“The wound is healing but you do need rest,” she said administering a small dose of Med-X. Fahr frowned and looked ready to jump up and march out of there.

“I’m sure Kessler can handle things, she did deal with a bunch of raiders for a time. You need rest if things are going to be better, you know that as much as I do and I do believe John left with specific orders for you to get back to fighting shape.” She knew she’d won the argument when Fahr slumped into the chair and sighed. 

“Not used to resting,” she admitted. Kay looked sympathetic and motioned for one of the medical beds.

“The Med-X should help with that. I promise we’ll wake you up if there’s anything wrong.” Joseline watched the exchange with interest. She’d only seen Kay this gentle with Meg and Deb. Fahrenheit settled into the bed reluctantly and immediately fell asleep. 

“I’m pretty sure the last time I wandered in here injured you stuck a Stimpack in my ass and told me to run off,” Josie said trying to hide her amusement. Kay glared at her half-heartedly and sighed.

“Her mate was a raider, wasn’t he?” Kay asked quietly. Joseline stiffened and nodded. Kay’s expression changed, she looked...haunted. “I know a bit of what that’s like.” No more needed to be said. Josie placed one hand on the Vet’s shoulder. She left the infirmary with assurances that if Kay was running low on supplies to tell the Minutemen and more would be sent. 

She walked the perimeter with Mac and together they made sure that Bunker Hill was as protected as it could be. She took the time to check in with Daisy and more of the prominent residents of Goodneighbor and was happy to see that things were fine. She made sure to note that she needed to send several engineers from the castle to work on KL-E-O. The Assaultron wasn’t looking any better even with her temporary repairs and she knew she had some men on staff that were veritable geniuses with robotics, even if they didn’t have everything to fix her up she knew she could easily ask Isabel for help.

Josie and her little group spent an hour at Bunker Hill, enough time to check-in, grab a snack, and sit for a bit before making their way to Railroad HQ. It wasn’t too far and Josie was glad for it. Despite still having daylight she could feel her feet starting to drag. She had pushed herself to her limits before but this felt different. It was almost like she was sinking, melting into the concrete and deep exhaustion was creeping up on her. She took a moment to breathe and ignored the way Mac and the others watched her intently. She dug into her pack and pulled out a Nuka-Cola Quantum. She watched as Mac’s eyes widened but he didn’t say anything. She opened the too sweet drink and started to sip on it and continued walking. She could already feel the caffeine and whatever else was in the glowing blue drink start to give her some temporary energy. They reached HQ without any further delay.

“Is Deacon in?” Josie asked once they walked into the building. Drummer Boy had met her immediately. He nodded and led her into the maze of rooms. Deacon was lounging in a back room with chalkboards tacked with pictures and string. She recognized Tom’s conspiracy boards pretty easily. The spy was smoking a cigarette but immediately put it out when she walked into the room.

“Thanks, Drummer Boy,” she said, putting her pack down and falling onto a dusty sofa that had no business being so comfy. 

“Well, well, if it isn’t Bullseye. Des said you were hunting Ayo,” he said sitting next to her and copying the way she slouched. She sighed loudly and punched him in the arm. “Ow!”

“Where have you been?” She asked irritably. Deacon rubbed his arm and shrugged his shoulders.

“Here and there. Geez, I’m a spy, I was getting information, you know because it’s my job.” Josie knew better than to try to get a straight answer out of Deacon. She huffed and stood. Her whole body protested the movement but she ignored it.

“I have a proposition for you. I need you to do something,” she said. Deacon straightened on the sofa and looked her over. She imagined he was probably looking at her with interest but she couldn’t tell because of his damned sunglasses.

“Yeah, look you’re pretty and all but I’m not really in the mood,” he said. Josie kicked him in the shin. “Ow!” 

“This is serious!” She exclaimed. Deacon had the decency to shut up but not before rubbing at where she kicked him. “I need you to be my Head of Security in the Institute.” She half expected him to gape at her or even protest but he was quiet. He stood suddenly and walked over to stare at Tom’s boards.

“You think Ayo has an inside man?” He asked but it didn’t seem like a question, more of a statement. Josie resisted the urge to sigh and simply moved to stand next to him.

“As much as I respect the people I have in charge, we need some semblance of security. Synth Retention, despite focusing on synths, kept most things in order. I need someone I trust to help me find a replacement, someone who won’t be corrupt like Ayo had been. And yes, I do expect that he still has some people in the Institute. I need you to find them.” They were both silent and Josie hoped he would agree to it. She honestly didn’t know who else to ask. Deacon turned to her.

“Alright then, when do I start?” 

“Immediately.”

. . .

“So where to next, Detective?” John asked. Nick didn’t answer him, instead, he seemed to be staring at a hand-drawn map of the Commonwealth. Hancock wasn’t sure why he insisted on going with Nick. Maybe it was because he worried about the synth. Something was going on and Nick had refused to explain what. He was determined to get to the bottom of it. Ellie wasn’t in the office and John was glad that Diamond City had changed their rules because he didn’t even think to bring a disguise with him. 

John mused that they had to thank Joseline for that. Shortly after she took over the Institute, it came out that his brother...wasn’t his brother. Mayor McDonough was a synth and a spy for the Institute. It had come as a shock to Diamond City and him. There was a lot of anger and distrust but Josie made reassurances and deals with the newly organized City Council. And for the first time in a long time, Ghouls were welcome in the Great Green Jewel. John hadn’t said anything to Josie when the news broke and she didn’t try to see him. He knew it was most likely because she was so busy but it still stung. Despite the surprise, John had mourned his brother a long time ago when he stopped being a McDonough. 

“Look, John, you don’t have to tag along. I can do this on my own,” Nick said putting the map away and grabbing some items. Hancock knew he would try and get him to leave but he wasn’t going to.

“I know something is going on, Nicky. I know it and Josie knew it. It’s why she let me come along with you. So are you going to tell me or are you going to just keep quiet while I follow you?” He asked, tired of Nick dodging the question. The synth clenched his hands into fists and glared at the peeling wallpaper of his office. 

“I don’t know if you know the whole story but the reason I...Nick Valentine spurned the bond with Joseline was because of a woman named Jennifer Lands. She was Nick’s fiance.” Nick’s face was tight, his jaw clenched as he paused and John didn’t know what to say. He’d known most of the story, of course, thanks to their little journey but it was the first time Nick was telling him the full story. “Jenny was murdered by a man named Eddie Winter. He was a criminal, the worst kind, way back when. The worst part is the reason he killed Jenny was because of me...because of Nick. I was working on his case and I was getting close. After Jenny died, the Boston police ended the investigation. Before that though, Winter had left behind a bunch of holotapes, holotapes that would lead us to his location. I’ve been trying to find them. I know where he is I just need to find the holotapes to get the code to get to him.” 

John tried not to voice out loud how crazy that sounded and instead watched Nick closely. He looked determined and John noticed how Nick had tried to separate between himself and the real Nick Valentine. He remembered Nick saying how it didn’t matter if he loved Joseline or not because he was still in love with a woman named Jenny. John didn’t know if he believed that or not. Maybe this was Nick’s way of getting closure, of moving on. 

“Wait, it’s been over 200 years Nick. I’m sure this Winter asshole is dead,” he said trying to understand. Nick looked at him with an almost manic look in his yellow eyes. John didn’t like that look.

“He’s not because before the bombs dropped Winter found a way to live forever. He’s a ghoul, John.” Nick gritted out opening the door to the Detective Agency and stomping down the dimly lit alley. Hancock followed after him and let Nick’s words sink in. This Eddie guy sounded like a real piece of work.

“Alright then, where are we going?” he asked. He couldn’t help the squirming feeling in his guts that told him this could potentially end badly. He thought of Joseline and how she would want Nick to be safe. He resisted the urge to huff and steeled himself for the unknown.

“South Boston.”

. . .

Nick didn’t want John to join him. He knew that Andrew Station was crawling with raiders and he was fully prepared to go into the subway and kill Eddie Winter, whether or not he survived long enough to get out was optional but now he had a tail. He knew Hancock was stubborn but he hoped to have shaken him off by the time he left Diamond City. It seemed John was determined to help him see this through and he knew now that dying wasn’t an option. 

He wondered why John cared so much. Sure they had been somewhat tentative friends but that had been before Joseline. God, just seeing her again had his synthetic heart pumping fast. He had wanted to touch her to make sure she was still real but hadn’t let himself. She was busy. Anyone with eyes could see that romance was the last thing on her mind but he also couldn’t help but think of how angry she had been when they had _both _been in danger. Did she still care about them? Did she still care about _him_?

Nick thought of how they left things. He still regretted not being able to tell her that he would choose her over Jenny. The thought of Jenny still brought a pang of pain to his chest and he thought...he hoped finally getting rid of Eddie Winter would help him move on. Because on the toughest nights, when he was alone in the office, he could still feel her lips against his. 

He shook his head and pulled out his cigarettes. He needed to focus and thinking about Josie wouldn’t help. He didn’t even know if he still had a chance, maybe his chance had walked out the door when she had. 

One of the good things about The Castle was that South Boston was a cleaner place in the sense that the Minutemen had gotten rid of most of the Super Mutants and ferals, it was the raiders that were a bit trickier. So their walk from Diamond City hadn’t been too treacherous. Though it was filled with ample commentary from John Hancock. Nick knew the Mayor was fishing for more info on not only the whole Eddie Winter situation but about him and Joseline as well. He definitely mentioned her enough times. 

“How did things end between the two of you anyway?” John had the gall to ask. Nick sighed and took a drag from his cigarette. He was starting to regret letting the Ghoul tag along.

“There was nothing to end and anyways, it’s none of your business,” he gritted out. It wasn’t, it’s not like he was asking John how things ended between them. They walked in silence and Nick was glad they were nearing the South Boston Police Department.

“When the Institute took you she was frantic. It was like I didn’t even exist and then I realized that things felt different. We’d grown apart and that shit hurt. I left and she let me,” John said, bitterness had crept into his voice and Nick didn’t know what to say. They had reached the Police Department, Nick had one hand on the door when he turned back to look at Hancock.

“She came to see me. I told her I wanted to be hers, to be her mate.” Nick looked away and turned the doorknob. “She asked if I would pick her over Jenny and I hesitated.” John made a low whistle and Nick agreed. He messed up. 

“Seems like we’re the ones who ruined things,” John thought out loud. Nick looked around the building, surprised that it was in pretty good shape. He let out a self-deprecating chuckle.

“You can say that again.”

. . .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This second part is very plot-oriented which is what I was focusing on and planned on focusing on when I wrote Unwanted, just FYI. Also, sorry for the late update. I had a bit of a writer's block with this story and finally go a bit of inspiration. It's summertime where I live and I live in the desert, the heat doesn't allow much room for wanting to write. But it's June! My birthday is in two days so I thought I would try and get this chapter out before then! Thank you to everyone who leaves kudos and takes the time to read this! I treasure each and every one of you :)


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